Chapter 3 : Death Will Come Easy...

Wherever my eyes go, I find something amiss.

The dull whitewash walls appear forlorn and lonely, which only a week and half ago seemed overwhelming to me. Ghost-prints of expensive tapestries and exquisite artwork mark the places where they used to be.

Where did everything go?

I frown as I stop at the second floor and search for the antic donging pendulum that has been waking me up every night exactly at 12 o'clock, since the day I arrived here. I wanted to check the time to see if I'm late, but it seems like I'll just have to go down and find out on my own. The clock is nowhere to be seen.

Gliding down the rest of the stairs, I wander off towards the living room. My eyes scan the almost empty space around me with confusion as well as inquisition. I remember seeing a lot of portraits hanging around in the main hall. Did they all get removed while I had been locked up in that freakish room? It is a possibility.

As I approach my destination, I find the door left ajar. I wonder if my master deliberately left the door open for me to enter without knocking. How nice of him to think of my comfort and ease… though, apparently, he's the reason why I'm so uncomfortable and queasy.

The quick cold shower has done absolutely nothing to dampen my labido.

Swallowing my fluttering nerves and ignoring the sensitivity between my thighs, I open the door further and step through the threshold. Nervously, I slide up the sleeves of my sweater that Adrian had picked out for me and cover my bare shoulders.

The white sweatpants feel good enough to cover up my legs but the pink knitted sweater won't stay on my shoulders, it keeps slipping off, exposing the straps of my baby blue bra.

The dress that Adrian had put together for me… is dare I say… really comfortable and cozy, with a touch of sexy. I wouldn't have been able to create such an assemble, even if I had spent the entire day sifting through the loads of dresses.

I shake off my silly smile that appears when I imagine how my captor must look like rooting through a lingerie store, plucking out lacy bras and thongs for me. The mental picture makes me snicker quietly, though I don't think he would really go as far as shopping for me if he doesn't even care about me.

The latter muse sobers me up and I refocus my attention.

I scan the spacious but bare living room and find Adrian and his brother, Bert lounging around the sitting area near the floor to ceiling windows as the late morning sunlight filters in, casting the space in a bright glow.

My breathing deepens as I watch, mesmerized by the way Adrian sits with his lethal body contained within a fragile piece of furniture. Gazing out of the window with one hand resting on the armrest and other hand under his chin, he looks so… serene and… contemplative. He's evidently lost somewhere in his own thoughts.

It's hard for me to believe that this is the same man who just denied me my relief because I didn't beg and because he wanted to punish me for saying no to stripping for him.

Why did you do that to me, Adrian? I call out to him in my mind, yearning for his warm and caring side. What did I do to make you hate me so much?

And as though he heard me, his body turns rigid. Slowly, his head turns, blue eyes charged with dark intensity glare at me from across the room. My heart bucks against my chest.

God, he detests me! It's evident in his unwavering cold stare.

We maintain our eye contact for two more seconds. Then his eyes cut down to take in the rest of me. His expressions remain impassive, body as stiff as a stick, demeanor closed off… but his eyes… they soften at the corners, giving way to undeniable lust. I shift on my feet, feeling too hot under the airy clothes.

My movement breaks the spell or whatever it was and… we come back to the glaring competition. But this time, I don't participate. I simply look away and catch Bert's curious gaze. My breathing halts for a second, shocked to have his attention, then I force myself to breathe.

His translucent blue eyes flicker between me and Adrian, obviously sensing the tension in the air. I try to smile as indecision robs me. *What the hell am I doing here? Why did Adrian ask me to come here, anyway? To shoot daggers at me with his scorching eyes? I doubt it. *

Just as I'm about to jump to another conclusion, Adrian unfolds himself, standing up from the armchair in one graceful moment. With a last heated look, he turns to Bert, dismissing me like a nuisance with a twist of his sinful body.

Tears sting my eyes as I watch him direct all of his attention to Bert, who in turn shifts in his chair to look at him. “You know what you have to do. Don't even think about hesitating. Just get her somewhere safe and dial up Lucas.” With those clipped and cryptic instructions, my master buttons up his jacket with nimble fingers, brushes past me and strolls towards the foyer.

I stare at his back, feeling a sharp pain stabbing my heart over and over again. Did he tell me to come down so he can ignore me, remind me he thinks nothing of me?

My eyes well up, my mind screaming "You mean nothing to him. You're just an Esclave. Your days are counted." Am I really that unpleasant?

Just as Adrian reaches the corner, his stride falters. After a moment of palpable hesitation, my eyes widen when he finally turns with a heavy sigh. I don't know if it's possible or not, but I think I just heard the sound of metal clanking on the floor as I watch Adrian, evidently shed some of his restraint.

His electric blue eyes meet mine and my eyebrows shoot up in my forehead.

“Come here, Esclave.” He rasps, beckoning me with a curl of his index finger in my direction. He has shed whatever it was that was holding him back from reaching out for me. He has given into one of his conflicting desires… and that desire is me.

My intolerable heartache twists into something darker than the lust brewing behind the charged eyes of my owner as my feet start moving automatically.

In a daze, I approach him.

He's asking for me, no consequences matter to me anymore.

His heat attacks me and his scent overwhelms, when I'm finally within his touching range. As soon as there's only two steps left in between us, Adrian lunges at me, slamming me up against the cold wall and pressing his hot body against mine.

My mouth falls open but no sound comes out when his lips start peppering open mouth kisses on my exposed shoulders and neck. His teeth skim my clavicle. I turn wild and hot and unstable against him, clinging onto his thick biceps, digging in my nails as he makes me moan in pleasure when his mouth reaches up and bites my earlobe, hard.

“You were supposed to look dull in these clothes.” He mumbles against my skin, a hard edge in his voice. His lips scrap against my jaw as his hands start exploring my curves. “You were not supposed to turn me the fuck on, Esclave.”

I hate his dirty talk… Lie. I love it when talks dirty. It makes me so wet. Oh God… please save me. I'm losing my sanity!

My heart thunders inside my chest as I try to catch my breath. But instead, I become breathless when slowly, he parts my legs with a single knee and rubs his hard cock against my hip.

“I don't want to want you. I don't want to feel. Anything! But you? You make me seeth with lust, crave violence and thirst for blood. Why? Tell me, goddammit, why??” He explodes, his voice booming in my face as he screams. I jump.

A feral look gleams in his dark intense eyes, his entire body vibrates against me with barely concealed strength and power.

And before I can even try to respond, his left hand finds my left breast. He squeezes it so hard, I screech with pain. His other hand immediately muffles my cries, cutting off my air supply.

He increases the pressure and I watch him through blurry eyes, gasping for some air against his suffocating palm as he visibly struggles to gain back his control, to restrain himself before he can take this to a whole another level.

After a few deep breaths, he loosens his squeezing fingers and leans his forehead against mine. But his hand on my mouth stays, shifting a little to allow me to breath through my nose.

I close my eyes and relish in the moment, even as I tremble out of control with an unbelievable amount of fear coursing through my veins. Terrified thoughts scramble around in my head. Oh god… he really wants to hurt me… he wants to drown me in lust, he wants to violate me. He wants my fucking blood! I'm so dead the day his raging darkness breaks free.

My trembling intensifies when slowly, his hand leaves my mouth and creeps down to wrap around my throat. My eyes fly open when he leans away, his fingers ghosting over my fragile neck, waiting for me to give him a reason to strangle me to death.

I try to plead with my eyes but he isn't looking at me. His hooded eyes have fixated on his hand around my trachea. He squeezes, the pressure light but enough to send my heart rabbiting inside my chest.

This is it. He's going to end me… because he can't stand to want me.

Tears of resignation stream down my cheeks. I don't make any sound or plead for my life. Maybe death will come easy. I don't have to struggle. Maybe he'll take pity and be quick about it.

“Esclave… ”

My eyes snap up to search his haunted eyes when I hear the immeasurable pain dripping from the single word. It's a plea, a beg. My master is suffering. He needs my help. What the fuck!?

“In the next ten seconds, I'm going to remove my hand. I want you to flee, as fast as you can, and get to my brother. Lock the door, block the entrance, do anything but don't let me in. Say yes if you understand.” Speaking each word is a fight for him. I can feel his struggle, his other desire, that doesn't want to hurt me. His other desire wants to protect me, keep me safe.

“Yes.” I whisper but dare not to move or make any other sound.

He huffs out a deep breath. Then meets my gaze. “Don't. Let. Me. In.”

His hand disappears from around my neck. His jaw clenches, hands fist on the sides. He booms, “Run for it!” when I don't immediately get into action.

With one last glance at my tortured captor, I bolt. Faster than I ever have. I make it inside the living room and slam the door behind me. To my surprise, Bert is already there, ready to push a large drawer in front of the door as soon as I've secured the deadbolt. I run to his side and help him shove the bulldozer of a wooden drawer and barricade the entrance.

I back away, breathing hard, heart pounding, ears ringing and body trembling.

“Sit down.” I almost jump out of my skin when I feel a light tap on my shoulder. I whirl around, clutching my chest desperately as my wild eyes refocus.

“You're safe here.” He herds me towards the window and pushes me to sit down in one of the armchairs—Adrian's chair—and hands me a glass of water.

“T-thank you.” I stutter as I wrap my quavering fingers around the tumbler.

Bert nods then excuses himself and goes to the other corner of the room to fiddle with his phone.

Slowly, the adrenaline drains out of my system, leaving behind a quivering mess. My tense shoulders slump and I slouch in the chair, feeling utterly exhausted but still restless. I down the entire glass in one toss and wipe my wet mouth with the back of my hand. The cool water helps calming down the fluttering nerves in my stomach.

“Lucas, it's Rain. He was near the foyer but I don't know where he's right now. Find him.”

My ears perk up when Bert's urgent voice gives snippets of information to Lucas, whose nose Adrian had broken because he thought this guy was harassing me.

My mind races as I realise that there's been no sound or any sign of Adrian since we have barricaded the entrance. Where can he possibly go? I thought he would come after me. A scary thought occurs to me… Is he looking for another way to get to me?

I swivel around in my seat to search out of the window, squinting in the bright glare to look for my owner. But I find nothing. Only a huge expanse of plain grassland and a thick cluster of trees near the horizon. Just as I'm about to turn away and relax, my eyes stumble upon two silhouettes strolling out of either ends of the house and coming to a stop near the windows.

The two hunks, dressed in combat style black matching uniforms, plant themselves like pillars in front of the window. I'm still staring in bewilderment when Bert returns after wrapping up his call.

“How are you doing now?” He asks me in a soft tone, concern shining in his tired and sad blue eyes.

“I'm fine.” I manage not to stutter.

“Good. I would have hated it if I had to sedate you.”

“If you had to do what!?”

“That's the protocol.” He just shrugs, like it's common knowledge.

I shudder and change the topic. “What happened?”

Bert presses his lips into a thin line. “Lucas can't find him.”

My mouth goes dry. “What is he doing to do then?”

He gives me a grim look. “Wait.”

“For…?”

“Rain to find you.”

⭐

***A glimpse inside Adrian's mind… ***

*In these past seven days, I've found that there are only three things that rule my new mind and body.

If I want to become the king and rule the Underworld and the Black Market, I will have to get the ultimate control over myself, my emotions and my actions.

I will have to become an unstoppable force, be ruthless in every aspect, be relentless till I get what I want and be merciless when it comes to snuffing out lives.

And in order to have that control and become a cold-blooded ruler, I need to get rid of these three obstacles…

My dead mother's voice, that forces me to be guilty for my actions.

My brother Bert, who's a living wall between me and my darkness.

My Esclave… my pearl… who's the reason why I haven't gotten rid of my other two problems.

Today, I had been only a breath away from plucking her out of my way. Getting rid of her means the ultimate victory; it won't take me more than five seconds before I've rooted through my other two minor distractions.

But that's where my trouble lies…

My dead mother lives in my head; I can block her out if I try hard enough…

My younger brother lives in my life; I can easily send him away…

But Esclave… that fucking little whore… my whore… She lives in my heart…

Now… How can I get rid of her… when I can't live without her?*